Sunday, January 10, 2010

Mike Hiller Dunkelweizen Recipe

Mike was nice enough to give us the recipe for the Bavarian Barbarian recipe that he has been the most pleased with so far (sadly it was long gone when we visited with him), Square Feet Wheat (his fall seasonal Dunkelweizen). I've included a good chunk of the text from his email followed by a distillation of the recipe from it because I think it is more interesting to hear why a brewer chooses to brew something in a specific way.

Malt Bill:
Pale Ale malt (keep it simple; it should just be a base grain and not a big deal in the flavor profile)

28% Wheat flakes or wheat malt (whatever you can get your hands on; kick it up to a full 1/3 of the malt bill if you're somehow anal about wheat beers HAVING to be 1/3 wheat)

19% Honey malt (the honey malt adds a nice, sweet, honey-like character that goes well with the clove esters you'll get from the yeast)

13% Caramel Munich 60L (backs up the sweetness of the honey malt and works with the Caramel Munich 120 for "dunkelness")

Hops:
"You can do whatever you want here, keeping in mind that the hops are absolutely not the dominant characteristic of this beer style. I like to stick to German noble hops for a level of authenticity."
Bittering: 1 oz. Tettnang
Flavoring: 1 oz. Hallertau
Aroma: 1 oz. Tettnang (10 minutes before end of boil)

"Again, lot's of variations you can do with the hops. Keep it floral and/or spicy and you'll be fine. And keep it simple. There's no need for a complex hop character in this beer style."

Yeast:
"If you can get your hands on a yeast strain originating from the Andechs Brewery in Germany, I highly recommend it. If not, try to find the best German or Bavarian Wheat or Weizen yeast you can get. You won't be sorry. The fermentation temperature should be kept on the lower end to produce more spicy characters like clove - between maybe 66 degrees and 68 degrees. You might actually produce some apple andpear esters, too. Banana might come out, but it'll be rather subtle - as it should be. Higher temps (between 68 and 72 degrees) will yield the fruitier esters like bananas and bubble gum which are better for hefeweizens. You're certainly welcome to do that - it's your fuckin' beer, do whatever you want."

"I hope this is the kind of thing you're looking for. I think I covered everything, but if there are any questions, don't hesitate to contact me. I strongly encourage experimentation in brewing - especially on the homebrew level, so please take this recipe as merely suggestion. Play with the damn thing. Use a Special B in place of the Caramel Munich 120 for example. Maybe punch up the caramel flavors and toss in a biscuit malt to make a more bready dunkelweizen. How about some chocolate malt? Whatever. Dunkelweizens have always been one of my favorite beer styles and it's wide open for various interpretations. Dunkelweizen means dark wheat, right? So as long as it's dark and has some wheat in it, you're pretty well able to do whatever the hell you want. Enjoy!"

"Square Feet Wheat for Fall/Winter has been released to the masses. This is a dunkelweizen of distinction. Fermented with a weizen yeast strain from the Andechs Brewery in Germany, Square Feet Wheat Dunkelweizen bears a taste of clove along with some fruity esters that include apples and pears. Heartier than a mere hefeweizen, this dunkelweizen is the perfect match for the Fall and Winter seasons as it boasts a 5.5% ABV and flavors that will complement holiday meals and desserts."